Gate.



J. W. BEDIENT.

GATE.

APPLICATION FJLED MB. I6. 1918.

1,288,804. Patented Dec. 24, 1918.

3 SHEETSSHEET I.

i vwentoz fvibue J. W. BEDIENT.

GATE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I6. 1918.

Patented Dec. 24, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- wi lmmm i. W. BEDIENT.

GATE.

APPLICATION mso FEB. Is. 1918.

Patented Dec. 24, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

JOHN WESLEY BEDIENT, OF SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA.

GATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 24, 1918.

Application filed February 16, 1918. Serial No. 217,603.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. BEDIENT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sacramento, in the county of Sacramento and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Gates, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to sliding gates and more particularly to farm gates of the class which may be opened and closed from a distance by persons in a vehicle or on horse back without alighting, and has for its primary object to simplify and improve the construction and increase the efficiency and utility of devices of this character. Other objects and advantages will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, reference being had to the accompany ng drawings forming part of this specification and in which,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a gate constructed in accordance with thls invention, the gate being in its closed position.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, parts being broken away and parts being shown in section, illustrating the arrangement of elements when the gate has been moved just beyond the center post or arch in an opening direction, the dotted lines showing the gate in its open position.

Fig. 3 is a top lan view of the device.

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view approximately on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view approximately on the line 5'5 of Fig. 3. 0

Fig. 6 is a greatly enlarged longitudinal sectional view through one of the arms of telescopic member which accelerates the sliding movement of the gate and retains the gate in either its open or closed position.

My improved sliding gate is preferably,

i but not essentially, constructed of connected metallic tubing, the posts of which being set in concrete foundation.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the abutment posts for the gates are indicated by the numerals 10 and 11 respectively, the numerals 12 indicating the concrete slabs in which the lower ends of the said posts are embedded. Approximately midway between the abutment posts 10 and 11, and having its lower end embedded in a concrete base 13 is an arched member, the vertical elements or posts 14 of which being suitably spaced from each other and connected, at their outer ends by a crown piece 15. The

crown 15 of the arch is provided with an approximately central opening through which passes the threaded shank of a headed member 16, the said member being engaged by a nut 17 which bears against the outer face of the crown, so that the threaded member or bolt 16 may be vertically adjusted with respect to the arch, and in addition to the nut 17, a locking nut may be employed. The bolt 17 passes centrally through the track 18 for the gate, the said track comprising preferably a single element having its ends passing through suitable openings in the abutment aosts 10 and 11, the said ends being threaded and having arranged thereon nuts 19 and 20 respectively. The nut 20 is designed to contact with the inner abutment post 11, while the nut 19 engages with the outer end of a helical spring 21 which is arranged upon one of the threaded ends of the track and which is forced by the adjustment of the said nut 19 into contacting engagement with the outer face of the abutment post 10. By adjusting the bolt members 16, the center of the track is elevated above the ends thereof, so that the track is arranged at a slight downward inclination from the arch to the abutment posts. The spring 21 retains the track in a taut condition and compensates for the expansion and contraction of the track, incident to climatic changes. Both of the abutment posts are braced from adjacent the top portions thereof by angularly disposed brace members 22, and both of the said posts, at the referred to outer portions thereof, are preferably, offset as indicated by the numerals 23.

The gate is broadly indicated by the numeral 24, the end posts 25 of which being extended a suitable distance above the top rail 26 of the gate proper, the outer ends of the said end posts being offset as at 27, to correspond with the offset portions 23 of the abutment posts 10 and 11, and the connecting member 28 for the upper ends of the said end posts has secured thereon, adjacent the ends thereof, bracket members 29 in which are j ournaled the shafts of grooved wheels 30 that are designed to be arranged over and travel upon the track 18.

The gate, it is to be understood, has its lower rail arranged a suitable distance above the ground surface, and to the connecting member 28 of the end posts of the gate, I secure the parallel arms of a substantially U-shaped member 31. The connecting element for the arms of the said U-shaped member is arranged at a right angle with respect to the said arms, and is disposed below the connecting member 28 in a line parallel to said member 28. Arranged for slidable movement upon the U-shaped member is a sleeve 32 having its opposite sides preferably provided with eyes 33, and to each of these eyes is connected one end of the flexible operating members or cables 31- respectively. The cables are guided through tubular members 35 connected one to each of the posts ll of the arch and extending toward each other, the said cables being also preferably guided through openings in the said posts 14, and trained over suitable sheaved wheels journaled on posts arranged a suitable distance from the sides of the gate, the free ends of the cables being preferaby provided with a weighted hand grip which is arranged in a convenient position to be grasped by a traveler approaching the gate. It will be apparent that a pull upon either of the cables will cause the sleeve to contact with one of the end members or arms of the U-shaped element 31, causing the gate to travel over the track. When the gate has one of its grooved wheels arranged a slight distance to either side of the arch, the weight of the said gate will cause the same to travel on the said track without a further pull upon the cable so the gate, it will be seen, may be easily opened or closed.

To retain the gate against side or lateral movement, as well as to provide means for retaining the gate in either its closed or open position, and still further, to accelerate the sliding of the gate to either of its positions, I provide a simple but novel construction which I will now proceed to describe. Journaled in a suitable opening in the bottom rail of the gate approximately central of the gate is a shaft 36, the said shaft being preferably provided with collars 37 arranged to the opposite sides of the gate whereby to prevent a longitudinal movement of the shaft through its bearing. To the ends of the shaft 36 are secured right angularly disposed tubular members 38, the said tubes, at the outer ends thereof, and at a suitable dis tance inward of the said ends being provided with inner annular bearings 39, to provide for the free sliding movement of telescopic arms 40. The arms are round in cross section and have their outer ends ofiset or provided with right angular extensions 42, the said extensions being journaled in suitable bearing openings 43 provided one in each of the vertical members 14 of the arch. Arranged for free movement on the arms 40 are weight members 14, the said weights contacting with the outer and preferably widened ends of the tubular arms 38 of the shaft 36. By reference to the drawings, it

will be noted that the telescopic members just described, are arranged at a suitable angle with respect to the arch and with respect to the gate when the said gate is either in its open or closed position, and the weights a l bearing upon the lower elements of the telescopic members hold the end posts of the gate into contacting relation with the abutment posts 10 or 11.

By reference to Fig. 2 of the drawings, it will be furthernoted that when a pull is exerted upon either of the operating cables, the upper arms of the telescopic members will be received in the lower arms thereof, and when the gate has passed the center of the arch, the weights exerting their influence against the lower members, will accelerate the sliding movement of the gate to either its open or its closed position.

Should it be found desirable to provide a small passage between the gate and the outer abutment post 10 sufficient to permit small animals or poultry passing between the fields divided by the gate, one of the brackets 29 may be adjusted longitudinally on the upper or connecting member 28 for the end posts of the gate so that the same will contact with the bolt 16.

It is believed that the construction, operation, and advantages of the improvement will be perfectly apparent from the foregoing description, and while I have illustrated and described a satisfactory embodiment of the improvement as it now appears to me, it is to be understood that I may make such changes in size, shape, proportion, material,

etc, as fall within the scope of what is claimed.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is: r

' 1. In a sliding gate, a telescopic member pivotally secured at one side of the gate opening and to the gate, and aweight arranged for slidable movement on one ofthe sections of said telescopic member and contacting with the other section of the said member, whereby to exert a pressure on said last mentioned section to assist in openir'lg and closing the gate and to hold said gate when at rest.

2. In a sliding gate,a shaft journaled on said gate, tubular arms extending angularly from said shaft, members pivoted to the sides of the gate opening and having their ends received in the said tubular arm's,

weights freely slidable upon the pivot members and contacting with the tubular members whereby to exert a pressure against the tubular members to slide the gate to its open or closed position after the said gate has been moved beyond the pivotalpoints of the said pivoted members. 7

3. In a sliding gate, a track on which the gate travels, said track being inclined down wardly from its center to its ends, means for imparting a partial movement to the gate to bring one end thereof beyond the center of the track to permit the gravitating of the gate to its open or closed position, and slidably weighted means between said gate and the gate way therefor for accelerating the sliding movement of the gate when one end of the latter is brought past the center of the track.

4. In a sliding gate, a track on which the gate travels, means connected with said track to elevate the center thereof, means for sliding said gate to bring one end thereof beyond the center of the track to permit of the gravitating of the gate to an open or closed position, and slidably weighted means associated with the gate for accelerating the movement thereof when one end of the said gate has been brought beyond the center of the track.

5. In a sliding gate, a track on which the gate travels, regulating means therefor, adjustable means connected with the center of the track to raise the said center above the ends of the track, locking means for said adjusting means, means for sliding the gate to bring one end thereof a distance beyond the center of the track to permit of the said gate gravitating to the ends of the track, and means for accelerating the said gate in its last referred to movement.

6. In a sliding gate, abutment posts, an arch disposed centrally between said abutment posts, a track connected with the posts, an adjustable element connected with the crown of the arch, and with the center of the track, whereby to elevate the track at the center above the ends thereof, a gate having grooved wheels arranged on the track,

means for imparting a partial movement to the gate to bring one end thereof beyond the center of the track to permit of the said gate gravitating on the said track to one of the corner posts, a telescopic member pivotally connected to the arch and to the center of the gate, weighted means associated with said telescopic members whereby, when the gate has been moved beyond the center of the track to permit of the expansion of the said telescopic member and the influence of the weight on one of the elements thereof to accelerate the travel of the gate.

7. In a sliding gate, space-d post-s, an arch arranged centrally between the posts, a track having one of its ends connected with one of the posts and its other end passing loosely through the other post, adjustable means between the track and the crown of the arch whereby to retain the center of the track elevated, a gate including end posts and the upper connecting member therefor, brackets adjustably secured to the said member, grooved wheels journaled on the brackets and arranged over the track, a U-shaped element upon the said connecting member, a sleeve slidable thereon, operating cables connected to the opposite sides of the sleeve, oppositely disposed tubular members connected to the vertical posts of the arch and through which the said cables pass, and weighted means between the arch and the gate designed, when either of the cables are operated to impart a partial sliding movement to the gate, to assist the said gate in such movement and to hold the said gate when at rest.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JOHN WESLEY BEDIENT.

' Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

